Difference Between Animal Cell and Plant Cell
Plant cell is the structural unit of life while Animal Cell is the structural unit of animals. There are many similarities as well as differences between the two. Let us discus.
Both animal cells and plant cells are eukaryotes. It means that both of them have nucleus containing chromosomes. Cell membranes are present in both types of cells. Cell membranes control the movements of substance coming in and going out. The difference is between the functions of both types of the cells.
One major difference between the two is that an animal cell does not contain the wall made up of cellulose while plant cell contains this. Cellulose in plant cells allows high pressure inside the cell without bursting. It is necessary in plant cell as plants require heavy exchange of fluids through osmosis.
Another difference is due to the fact that plants use the process of photosynthesis in which plants make food out of sunlight. Plants use chloroplasts in this process which contains its own DNA. But this all is not present in animal cells.
In the cytoplasm of plants’ cells a large vacuole is present. This vacuole occupies all the space in a plan cell. It is encircled by cell membrane. Water, waste materials and nutrients are contained in the vacuole. On the contrary, animal cells have vacuoles too but they are small in size. It is not as big as vacuoles in plant cells. Another difference is that animal cells are different in size and shape. Whereas plant cells are of the same size and shape. Plant cells are rectangular whereas animal cells are circular.